The Weekly Update – Professional & Online MBA: October 15, 2015

Program News & Announcements

Upcoming Moodle / MyPack Portal Maintenance, Nov. 7 & 8

NC State’s Office of Information Technology will perform extended maintenance on several core components of the OIT Datacenter Infrastructure from Saturday, November 7th at 6 am through Sunday, November 8th at 6 pm. During this time, MyPack Portal, Moodle, and other DELTA resources will be unavailable for extended periods of time. Online students should be aware of this outage and plan accordingly.

Schedule Changes for Spring 2016

The following changes have been made to the Spring 2016 course schedule:

The McLauchlan Leadership Series is open to all Jenkins MBAs who are not currently taking part in a corporate leadership development program. This premier leadership development program that enables fellows to build their network, receive executive coaching and master the fundamentals of personal, team and organizational leadership. The McLauchlan Leadership Series is a leadership development program designed to support professional, graduate-level leadership education through experiential learning.

McLauchlan Fellows have unique access to corporate executives and community leaders throughout the series. Fellows build their network and experience unique coaching and professional development to further career growth. McLauchlan Fellows receive a certificate upon completion and are recognized at the Poole College of Management spring commencement ceremony. The deadline to apply is Friday, October 16. Click here for full details.

Important news for December graduates!

Fall graduation will be held this year on Friday, December 18th at the PNC Arena in Raleigh. For those of you planning to graduate in December, there are some important housekeeping items which must be completed no later than Thursday, October 29th, 2015. Full, step-by-step details are located here on our website.

Save the date for our MBA graduation celebration on Thursday, December 17th from 5:30 – 7:00! Details to come.

More information about these trips, including how to apply, can be found on the MBA website.

Consumer Innovation Practicum – Apply Now for Spring ’16

The NC State Consumer Innovation Consortium is accepting applications for the Spring 2016 Consumer Innovation Practicum. Applications are being accepted through October 31. If you have questions about the CIP, e-mail Dr. Colbey Reid, cereid@ncsu.edu. To request an application form, e-mail Dave Knospe, dknospe@ncsu.edu.

A Signature Accomplishment …

Be sure your NC State e-mail account has a professional signature. Doing so is easy, and adds a professional touch to your official e-mails that will help you make the right impression on potential employers. Click here to get the proper format and to download official NC State logos for your NC State GMail account. If you need help setting up a signature for the first time, here’s a handy guide.

Professional & Community Events

COMING THURSDAY, 10/22: Women for Success Triangle

You’re personally invited to Women for Success Triangle’s annual Wine & Cheese event. Mark your calendars for Thursday, Oct. 22. (The event is not just open to women!) There will be amazing raffle items including merchandise, gift cards and more. All proceeds will benefit Dress for Success Triangle, a not-for-profit organization that has already helped thousands of underprivileged women in the Triangle area.

Learn About MergeLane – Thursday, Oct. 29

The Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs, a new initiative at NC State, will be hosting MergeLane, an accelerator program, at the Frontier in RTP. Join us on Thursday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. and meet Sue Heilbronner, co-founder of MergeLane. This workshop is a chance for startups, mentors, and investors to learn more about the details of the accelerator, and find out what is unique about MergeLane, which provides a $20,000 investment in firms accepted to their program.

Please pass the word to those in your network. The more the merrier! We want to show MergeLane that North Carolina has companies to invest in.

Ellevate Network Luncheon – Oct. 23

The Ellevate Network (formerly 86 Broads) is a dynamic professional women’s networking group, and they’re launching a Triangle Chapter! The N.C. Triangle Chapter Launch Luncheon will be held October 23rd at Prestonwood Country Club, and will feature Sallie Krawcheck, Ellevate Chair, former CEO of Merrill Lynch and Smith Barney, who was featured on the Forbes World’s 10 Most Powerful Women list. Sallie will be discussing “Diversity as a Competitive Advantage.” A student rate is available: Click here to learn more & register.

Innovative Women’s Conference – November 13

Tickets are on sale now for the annual Innovative Women’s Conference, bringing together women from around the Triangle area – from graduate students to entrepreneurs to corporate executives – encouraging discussion and hands-on learning in the areas of business innovation, science, technology and entrepreneurship. The conference will be held at the Talley Student Union on November 13 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a networking social the evening before at HQ Raleigh, November 12 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Students can purchase tickets for only $15 (includes both events). Non-student early bird tickets are on sale for $40 until October 31, 2015. Tell your friends and family to purchase early for great savings! Proceeds from the event will be donated to Women for Success.

YPN: Analytics, Big Data, and the Internet of Things – Nov. 19

Join us on Nov. 19 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. to hear from Michael Rappa, Ph. D, Goodnight director, distinguished professor, and founder of the NC State Institute for Advanced Analytics. Rappa will moderate a panel discussion that introduces the topics of Big Data and analytics and discusses how new trends and technologies are shaping our future. Panelists include:Paul Kent, vice president of Big Data at SAS Institute, Inc.Bruce Thompson II, partner, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLPBill Nowicki, vice president of Ticket Operations, Carolina HurricanesAric LaBarr, Ph.D, assistant professor of analytics, NC State Institute for Advanced Analytics

The MBA program has eight free tickets to this event. E-mail Claire Jefferies, csjeffer@ncsu.edu, for more information.

Academic Advising

Academic Advising Syllabus

This is a reminder to all professional and online students to view your academic advising syllabus and, after reading it, to sign the Academic Advising Contract Form confirming that you have read and understand expectations. Please note that your advising hold for spring will not be lifted until you complete and submit this form. You will not be able to register for Spring classes when your window comes up until you complete this assignment. Students who wait until the day of registration to complete the form will not have their hold released immediately so please plan in advance.

Career Management Center

RSVP BY FRIDAY: 2nd Annual Jenkins MBA Mix-and-Mingle

This is the 2nd annual Jenkins Mix-and-Mingle. The first in January 2015 at the Carol Poole Clubhouse was a HUGE success. This is a terrific opportunity for Professional MBAs to meet their fellow MBAs, local business community members, and Jenkins MBA alumni in a relaxed, professional environment. We are using an Eventbrite invite and Joblink to RSVP.

Professional MBA Career Management Video Series

Professional MBAs have asked for online career training available 24/7, and we have delivered.

Career Management Podcast/Video-On-Demand Series
In partnership with NC State Alumni Career Services, we will provide weekly real-time podcasts on job search strategies, career management and exploration, leadership skills and retirement. Podcasts are recorded and housed as video-on-demand for 24/7 access.

Confessions of a Former Recruiter Teleseminar
Six weekly teleseminars (audio, no video) presented at 12:30 pm. Listen to executive recruiters share their secrets about résumés, interviewing, negotiating, using LinkedIn, getting through the online application process, and pet peeves. Click herefor a sample of “Interview Confessions of a Former Recruiter.”

International Student Video-On-Demand SeriesThe Jenkins CMC has partnered with Beyond B-School to give international students access to career experts who lecture at business schools throughout the world. They present leading-edge job search techniques to international students in order to meet the special challenges they face. Through this partnership, you will have access to the presentations addressing a comprehensive range of topics, each consisting of one-hour lectures and panel discussions available online, on demand,24/7 on any device.

Video-on-demand webinars are added at 8 a.m. on Thursdays. Each video will be available on-demand through August 2016. Watch presenetations on employer perspectives of hiring international students, legal issues regarding immigration, writing effective emails, networking American style, and interview strategies. Series information and registration are on the Professional MBA Virtual CMC site.

MBA Student Association

Join MBASA at the State Fair – Oct. 16 & 24

The MBASA will be sponsoring two MBASA days at the North Carolina State Fair. We have purchased 20 tickets for Friday, October 16th (meet at 6 p.m.) and 20 tickets for Saturday, October 24th (meet at noon). We will meet at Gate 9 (the main entrance) at these times. Tickets are first-come, first-served. Bring your significant others, kids, etc. and meet your fellow MBASA members.

Use this Google sign-up sheet to add your name to the list (the first 20 members who sign up for each day). See you at the fair!

Q: Tell us something that people would be surprised to learn about you.A: Well, I’m Chinese, but I sound like a “local girl”. A lot of people ask me, “Did you grow up around here?” Of course, I have to say “no” but that I do travel all over the country for work. I am travelling at least 40 weeks out of the year, and that has given me many experiences and a great deal of confidence in myself. Some of my interests and hobbies include riding my motorcycle, fly-fishing, kayaking, shooting a bow instinctively, shooting guns of all kinds, hiking, camping, photography, etc. I even use some Southern slang, like “y’all!”

Q: If you had five minutes to teach a stranger something new, what would you want to teach?A: I want people to be interested in technology. People call me the “gadget girl” because I keep up with technology and like helping other people solve any problems with their new equipment. Talking to you right now, I’ve got two computers and three monitors running in front of me. So, I’d show people how to use this technology. For example, I’d pull out my new iPhone 6S Plus and show them useful applications. Evernote, for instance – I used that at the online MBA residency to take notes with. I also have the Apple Watch. And, at the residency, I had my “Selfie Stick” with me for taking pictures of the group or to get more height to a picture. My group used that in our presentation on how to motivate Millennials!

Q: If you could meet any famous person, living or dead, for coffee or a beer, who would you meet and what would you want to ask about?A: Wow, I’ve got so many people going through my mind right now. I’m a born-again Christian, and someday I’m going to go to Heaven and meet Jesus the Christ. I know it’s just a matter of time, but I can’t wait to meet him. I would humbly ask him why he gave people “free will” since it has allowed such trouble in the world. I have my own understanding of course, but I’d really like to hear his wise counsel.

Q: Tell us about the Online MBA Raleigh Residency – what did you find interesting, enlightening, and surprising about that experience?A: It was awesome to connect with my fellow MBA classmates and make friends. It’s very encouraging to see that there are so many people who are doing what I’m doing. And it feels good going back to school after so many years. We had some really good speakers there, and it was great to meet our professors and learn about opportunities, including the new McLauchlan Leadership Program. I was very impressed.

Q: What are your long-term career goals, and how is the Jenkins MBA going to help you achieve them?A: I’m planning on staying with my company, ABB Automation. In the short term, I want to do a better job of managing my team – to develop their talents and figure out how to better coach and mentor them, along with the rest of the engineers in my company. Long-term, I’m thinking about the “big picture.” I want to know how I can help my company with its strategic planning, while also answering the question, “How can we plan for a sustainable future?” The Jenkins MBA is helping me to acquire this knowledge, especially the financial aspects of doing business and helping us understand those challenges.